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Moissanite (/ ˈ m ɔɪ s ə ˌ n aɪ t /) [5] is naturally occurring silicon carbide and its various crystalline polymorphs. It has the chemical formula SiC and is a rare mineral , discovered by the French chemist Henri Moissan in 1893.
Moissanite is superior to cubic zirconia in two ways: its hardness (8.5–9.25) and low SG (3.2). The former property results in facets that are sometimes as crisp as a diamond's, while the latter property makes simulated moissanite somewhat harder to spot when unset (although still disparate enough to detect).
Moissanite actually has a higher refractive index than diamond, and when presented beside an equivalently sized and cut diamond will show more "fire". Cultured, synthetic, or "lab-created" gemstones are not imitations: The bulk mineral and trace coloring elements are the same in both.
As a gemstone used in jewelry, silicon carbide is called "synthetic moissanite" or just "moissanite" after the mineral name. Moissanite is similar to diamond in several important respects: it is transparent and hard (9–9.5 on the Mohs scale, compared to 10 for diamond), with a refractive index between 2.65 and 2.69 (compared to 2.42 for diamond).
Charles & Covard was the first company to produce and sell synthetic moissanite, [9] under U.S. patent US5723391 A, first filed by C3 Inc., North Carolina. [10] The gemstones are made from silicon carbide crystals, supplied under an exclusive agreement from fellow North Carolina company Cree Inc. since 2014.
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On Earth, the natural form of silicon carbide is a rare mineral, moissanite. [19] In the Solar System the rocky planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are 70% to 90% silicates by mass. By contrast, stars with a high ratio of carbon to oxygen may be orbited by planets that are mostly carbides, with the most common material being silicon carbide ...